This invention relates generally to fasteners for laces, straps and the like and more particularly concerns latch type fasteners for rapidly securing and releasing them.
The problem of securing and maintaining laces or similar items such as strings, cords and lines in a taut condition and preventing their inadvertent untying has continued for as long as laces have existed. In use, both the laced material, be it a tow sack or gunnysack, a duffel bag, a canvas cover or tarpaulin or leather or canvas shoes or any similar article, and the lace itself gradually stretch and loosen and, eventually, the securing bow-knot itself loosens or even becomes untied. And these difficulties only accentuate the impossibility of obtaining a truly taut condition of the lace in the first place. For example, tautness in a shoe lace is generally lost in the process of pulling the lace through to the top level of eyelets and then attempting to tie the lace while trying to maintain what tautness has been achieved. The problem takes on greater significance in relation to athletic footwear where snugness of footwear sometimes bears directly on an athlete's level of performance.
similar difficulties are encountered with respect to the buckling device presently used to secure belts and straps associated with articles of clothing and various types of containers, such as boxes or luggage.
Many fasteners intended to resolve this general problem have been designed since the turn of the century.
One type of fastener, many variations of which exist, clamps a bow-knot tied in a lace by gripping the bow and free portions of the lace. Thus, the knot cannot be inadvertently undone. This type of fastener relies on the knot to secure the lace in its taut condition, and the fastener merely secures the knot. It requires not only the tying of a knot in as taut a condition as possible but also the arrangement and holding of the bow and free portion of the lace in position in the fastener during the securing operation. This is time consuming and still leaves the tautness of the lace dependent upon the security of the knot. Fasteners of this type are also generally of cumbersome size and unsightly appearance, particularly in today's fashion conscious market, even with respect to athletic footwear.
Other fasteners have been designed of more streamlined and suitable appearance than the bow-knot type, but they generally are intended to grip a garment and do not allow or provide for the drawing of any lace or strap through the fastener into the taut position.
Another difficulty with many of these fasteners is that they accomplish the gripping function by use of prongs which penetrate the gripped material, thereby causing excessive wear and damage to it.